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Don’t Miss the "Halloween Book Burning"

You certainly don’t want to miss the Halloween Book Burning at Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina. It’s going to include an exciting time of burning Satan’s bibles like the NIV, RSV, NKJV, NASB, NRSV, ASV, Good News for Modern Man, The Message Bible, and more erroneous translations – pretty much anything but the good old King James. As they say on their website, “These are perversions of God’s Word, the King James Bible.” Plus they’re also burning Satan’s music such as country, rap, rock, pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel, contemporary Christian, jazz, soul, oldies, etc. (I always thought Satan might be behind CCM.)

But that’s not all folks – they’re also burning Satan’s popular books by heretics like Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, John McArthur, James Dobson, Charles Swindoll, John Piper, Bill Bright, The Pope, Rob Bell, Erwin McManus, and many more.

And the best news is that while the burning is going on, they’ll also be serving BBQ chicken, fried chicken, and all the sides. They’re even kind enough to come to your house and pick up the books and music you need to burn.

How fun is that? You’ll see a lot of misspelled words on the website, which might tell you a lot about the folks behind this event.

My favorite thing about the King James only people is that a few years ago I was working on a documentary about William Tyndale – the man who translated the Bible into English. Touring the British Museum privately with Tyndale’s biographer and curator of the Tyndale exhibit, David Daniel, he opened the case and showed me one of the rare remaining 1611 Authorized King James Bibles. In the preface to that original KJV, the translators had an interesting note. Essentially they humbly said they had done the best job they could with the manuscripts available, but knew it fell short and hoped future translators would do a better job in the future. So I find it rather fascinating that the ORIGINAL TRANSLATORS of the KJV knew future translations would be a good thing, but now this very small group today thinks the KJV is the “only anointed and authorized” version available. Amazing contradiction.

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Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Nate

Warning: the following comment contains an inordinate amount of sarcasm. Please read with care.

Now, be careful when criticizing fine book burnin’s like this.

Do you know that Jesus and his disciples spoke KJV English? It’s true. That’s why KJV’ers are correct – because mid 17th century English was the language of the day in first century Israel. I’m not exactly sure how that happened… but I’m thinking maybe a Waybackⓒ machine was involved. Does the KJV say anything about Waybackⓒ machines?

I’m thinking a plate of little church North Carolina style BBQ chicken would hit the spot right about now…

Just a little sleuthing shows that the pastor and his wife attempted to plant a church as recently as 2008 in Cummings, Georgia. Now they’re in Clanton, North Carolina. If you missed the original book burning site, check out their Internet Wayback page:

This is the most ridiculous thing I have EVER heard off and… Huh, Barbecue Chicken?!?!

Dang. Up in the air on this one.

You know – if people get slapped in heaven it will be over stuff like this.

Ann

LOL I know right. Fried chicken couldn’t possibly be from the devil if you season it right.

Mark Owens

It’s sad to see what happens when someone’s desire to be holy gets highjacked by a religious spirit. In Jesus’ day, the religious leaders of the day were known for their zeal for the traditions of their fathers. When Jesus preached the heart and the will of God, they couldn’t see it. They were blinded by their tradition. Like Phil and many other have said, the message never changes, but the method always does. It’s harder to reach people like those metioned than someone who has never heard the gospel.

I don’t know if this is truly the single most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard of, but it certainly ranks right up there near the top of the list!

Will

Wouldn’t it be great if someone with a Christian profile and influence (ideally someone they disaggree with) reached out to these people. They are so far off the track and harmful to the greater church, that some action from within the Christian community is called for.

Ultimatly I can’t believe it helpful that we simply mock these people rather than concertedly try to help them. Love conquers all. That includes the twisted mind set of individuals and groups of people that have so often damaged the effective witness of the church.

Mary Hutchinson

When they come by to pick up books, will they deliver bbq? I am just saying…

g perkins

I remember a construction guy I worked with during a miseral summer job telling me, “If the King James was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me,” Come to think of it, he was from North Carolina. Coincidence? I think not!

Paul

It’s a nice thought, Will, but I’m thinking that there are few they would talk to, considering they have already framed that they believe most of the well-known mainline pastors to be heretics, and why would true believers allow themselves to be tainted by even speaking to heretics.

I could only get a Redeye into Canton, but the airline is allowing xtra baggage for the Book Burnin.

Will

Paul, you are probably right. Talking to these people would take real concern and courage to take the risk of being tainted as you say. Much easier just to condemn and mock them like everyone else…

I still believe an effort to communicate or at minimum a statement of regret for this groups position by a Christian leader of note would help mitigate the kind of damage an incident like this does to the public perception of the church.

Paul

Will, you completely misunderstood what I was saying. I have ZERO concern about them tainting me.

My point was that I doubt they (Amazing Grace) would listen to Billy Graham or Rick Warren because THEY would be concerned about speaking with heretics.

“Much easier just to condemn and mock them like everyone else…” Neither of which I did.

Do I believe the folks at Amazing Grace will be in Heaven? Absolutely, as long as their beliefs don’t contradict the Bible – which it appears they don’t. They are just very adamant about a non-essential belief and allow themselves to get so caught up in their quest for holiness that they look foolish – and probably should.

“a statement of regret for this groups position by a Christian leader of note would help mitigate the kind of damage an incident like this does to the public perception of the church.”

Unfortunately, while I understand your intent, I sincerely doubt that an effort like that will have much impact either. Of all the religious leaders we know “in house,” only Billy Graham is known and trusted by most Americans. Others we could name have lost credibility due to various reasons or are really own known to those of us “in the business,” by which to say, churchgoers.

What’s really horrible about this is that the Amazing Grace people are far from the only “problem children” in this day and age. There are hundreds of websites, dedicated to explaining how Contemporary Christian Music, Billy Graham, the Presbyterian church, Rick Warren, Max Lucado, Amy Grant, James Dobson, Southern Baptists, Jars of Clay, Joel Osteen, the Lutheran church, Joyce Meyers, Stephen Arterburner, the NIV-readers, Catalyst, Ted Dekker, Stryper, the Catholic church, Petra, Relevant Magazine, the Pope, Bob Briner, Ron Blue, Gary Smalley, Andy Stanley, Full-Gospel churches, Focus on the Family, Larry Burkett, Zig Ziglar, Frank Peretti, etc… are EVIL and appointed by SATAN. And, sadly, I don’t mean hundreds for all – hundreds for EACH of them.

No wonder the world doesn’t care about us. Not only are we influence-free, running away from culture, rather than engaging and transforming it, we attack and condemn not only the world, but our fellow Christians.

In 2 Peter 3, we are told that the Lord is “patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Yet we are not patient with each other. We would rather make things about us vs them, even when the them are some of us. God’s judgement is about reconciliation – that CANNOT begin with condemnation.

Colette

yes … I live about an hour from Canton, NC (in upstate South Carolina) … it is all over the local news … truly sad. I was raised in a KJV only church but only really got to know God through more contemporary versions … I still don’t understand the thought process behind all this. If it weren’t so sad … it’d be hysterical …

USHMM

Not to be morbid, but this quote seems relevant: “Where one burns books, one will soon burn people.” – Heinrich Heine

This really saddens me. I am coming across more and more of this sort of thing and not just in the Baptist church. I have been receiving emails lambasting Billy Graham, Jesse Duplantis, Copeland, Joel Olsteen, you name it.

Where in the Bible does it show that we are to treat those in the body like this? And why such a controlling perspective.

I’ve come to think the root of all of this is fear. If someone is different or better than us in the body, we strike out to keep everything the same. We don’t want to embrace our differences but make each of us the same.

I don’t see Christ doing that at all. He excepted/excepts everyone as they are. Why can’t we?

One of the unique things about the New Testament was that it was written in everday language, yet through the King James version it was put into a very stiff formal language. Add a few hundred years to that and it is in places almost incomprehensibly archaic ,which results in hiding the message from those who may need it the most.

It’s not just the states. I live in Central America and the Reina Valera is the King James of the Spanish bibles. It is widely used and defended as being the only true Bible.

I usually try to read all of the comments on this site before I comment, but I just got tired of reading them all!! There are so many! I think you struck a nerve, Phil! I know it struck my nerve. This just makes me angry…and I know I shouldn’t get angry. But I am! Why are people doing this to us!? Why are people still holding on to the KJV like it’s the only Bible? What about the missionaries in Russia who almost got lynched by a mob who thought that their Bible, which was translated 400 years before the KJV, was the only correct translation? I don’t understand.

I can make a fool out of myself, all by myself. I don’t need these Neanderthals doing it for me!

Can we please get over our tired, traditional, Christian rhetoric and try to act like the bride of Christ!

Headless Unicorn Guy

Probably (like that KJV1611-Only church my writing partner showed me) 14 members with an average age of over 70. AKA The Only True Christians in the entire world, All Others Being Apostates.

Headless Unicorn Guy

…considering they have already framed that they believe most of the well-known mainline pastors to be heretics, and why would true believers allow themselves to be tainted by even speaking to heretics.

I.E. “WE WON’T BE TAKEN IN! THE DWARFS ARE FOR THE DWARFS!”

Headless Unicorn Guy

And don’t forget the “KJV 1611 ONLY” movement that denounces the King-James-Only movement as Apostates and Heretics with their False 18th Century version of the KJV!

About Phil

An internationally known writer and speaker, Phil Cooke has actually produced media programming in nearly 50 countries around the world. In the process, has been shot at, survived two military coups, fallen out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time – through his company Cooke Pictures in Burbank, California – he’s helped some of the largest nonprofit organizations and leaders in the world use the media to tell their story in a changing, disrupted culture.